13 Dec 14

Priorslee Lake: 6:59am - 10:07am
Map

1.0°C > 3.5°C  Clear, fine and frosty. Light W wind. Excellent visibility.

No notable records this morning.

(145th visit of the year)

Counts over the lake
- 11 Black-headed Gulls
- 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 2 Feral Pigeon
- 11 Fieldfare
- 13 Redwings
- 691 Jackdaws
- 26 Rooks

Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake (in addition to the over flights).
- 9 Redwings (partial count from a distance).
- 8 Starlings
- 58 Magpies

The counts from the water
1 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Swans
6 (3) Gadwall
9 (4) Mallard
4 (4) Pochard
72 (40) Tufted Duck
2 Water Rails heard
10 Moorhens
182 Coots
66 Black-headed Gulls
24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30 Herring Gulls

Other notes
Little Grebe again: this bird quite bold and in a different location.
c.100 Wood Pigeons flew in to the copse alongside the M54 to the E of Castle Farm Road.
Cetti's Warbler not heard today.
Small Starling roost last night – just 8 birds seen leaving.
and
The same Mottled Umber moth still on the same lamp as yesterday.
What appeared to be a very late Shaggy Ink-cap fungus has emerged here – one at The Flash on Thursday.

A slightly different take on the sunrise this clear frosty and morning.

And the Hazel catkins are progressing: last week they were still green.

The drake Gadwall is such an attractive bird, how could I resist.

The unmistakeable dumpy silhouette of Little Grebe.

Here is the new Shaggy Ink Cap fruit that has just emerged at the lake: an unusually late date.

My excuse is it is nearly Christmas and every Christmas needs a Robin. Especially when it as well-posed as this.

Following on from yesterday’s possible Hogweed this different specimen I found today seems to confirm it. The outer flowers on each ray are open and white, as they should be: the inner flowers are yet to open and like yesterday show a pink tinge (the background leaves you can see are no clue: these are quite different plants, possibly Crane’s-bill though the photo is too blurred to be sure and I did not check at the time).

(Ed Wilson)

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Priorslee Flash: 10:10am - 11:01am
Map

(119th visit of the year)

Today’s counts overhead here:
- 49 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Herring Gull

The counts from the water
1 Little Grebe
2 Great Crested Grebes
1 Grey Heron
2 Swans
3 Canada Geese
1 all-white feral goose
35 (23) Mallard
1 all-white feral duck
1 (0) Pochard
29 (15) Tufted Ducks
54 (5) Goosander
6 Moorhens
17 Coots
68 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

Notes
Another very high count of Goosanders.

This Pied Wagtail is rather hunched it is possible to just about make out a dark neck collar of an adult. The overall paleness suggests a female. This bird has quickly found a foraging area at The Flash where the Council have added earth to build up the once eroded bank behind the reeds that were planted in 2013 and are doing well.

I know it is the same Grey Heron with the missing foot but you don’t often see birds standing on roof-tops. Note that compared with the bird I photographed the bill of this bird is very dull. It may be that its injury will mean it does not come in to breeding condition.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day in 2009, 2012 and 2013

Priorslee Lake

2013

Herring x Glaucous Gull hybrid, sometimes called ‘Nelson's Gull' but also colloquially ‘Viking Gull' 
(Ed Wilson)

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2012
Ring billed Gull hybrid
1800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
500 Black-headed Gulls, 100 Herring Gulls
3 Greater Black-backed Gulls
Common Gull.
(Tom Lowe)

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2009
Black-necked Grebes

(Ed Wilson)